Photo: Paul Hanaoka

I CAN'T HELP IT 

I'm extremely organized.  Not a brag.  Just the facts.

But I never expect others to notice or to comment until one day at the grocery store a clerk surprised me by saying, "You're so organized."

When I go to the grocery store my list is printed in the order in which I will begin shopping, starting with the produce, then canned goods, cereals, snacks, cat food, household cleaners, meats, frozen foods and lastly the pharmacy needs. Each item goes into its designated bag in the cart: produce in the green bag, canned goods in the white one, meats go in blue and dairy in black.  These bags are put on the conveyor belt where a grocery clerk empties them and scans each item and the bagger puts them back into their assigned bags.  It may a little over the top, but it works for me.  

My organizational skills come in handy when packing for a vacation.  I use packing cubes to keep clothes folded and neatly stacked in the order in which I will wear them.  The outside of the cubes are

 

labeled with a short description of the contents.  This method helps me find outfits and makes getting dressed easier.  I won't have to think about what to wear.  A day before vacation, I check the weather forecast for our destination and make necessary changes to the packing if needed.

As you can imagine, the kitchen pantry is neatly organized.  Snacks are stored in large plastic tubs.  Other food items are placed in baskets.  This system keeps similar foods grouped together and makes finding foods much easier—though my husband questions why his breakfast foods (the oatmeal and tea bags) have to be in baskets.  I show him how nice the pantry looks.  He smiles and humors me.   

Open up a bathroom cabinet under the sink and you'll find baskets keeping hair products, toothpaste, soap, and makeup looking tidy.  Inside the bathroom closet, jeans are neatly folded on shelves, athletic wear is placed in bins, and shoes fit into cubbies.  In a large wicker basket under the bathroom counter, towels are folded and artistically arranged.

Take a peek in a bedroom closet and you'll find clothes arranged in color groups: whites, yellow, pink, navy, light blue, violet, maroon, and black.  

Occasionally, my kitchen desk is cluttered with mail, books, bags, and recipes and the guest room bed is strewn with stacks of clothing waiting to be packed for a vacation.  But as you can imagine, this disorder doesn't last long.  

I can't help it—being organized is just the way I am.  What surprises me is when others I hardly know notice.  Especially at the grocery store.  I never thought it was that obvious.  But, come on.  The color-coordinated grocery bags?  What a dead giveaway.  

 À la prochaine!

  

                                                                                                         photo by: Amat Martinez Vilà

ITTY-BITTY THINGS 

I confess I get annoyed when folks complain about itty-bitty things.   

This happens regularly on our neighborhood Facebook page.  Neighbors like to air their grievances online.  They fuss about stray cats wandering into their yards.  They're not happy about dogs pooing on their lawns or barking too much.  

Then, there's the complaint that happens every Fourth of July.  The fireworks.  

When neighbors or even adjacent neighborhoods set off fireworks, some people get riled up.  In this case, it's a no-win situation.  It's a national holiday and this is how some people like to celebrate.  I would like to tell the complainers to get over it.

It's a noisy holiday.  Everyone knows there will be fireworks and it's going to be loud for a couple of hours.  Maybe even a few days afterward.  So, I would say to those who get upset to find a way to handle it.  Try to ignore the noise by watching a funny television show or movie.  Wear earplugs to bed.  Or, invest in noise-cancelling headphones.  But don't complain about it.   

Overall, most people use our Facebook page to make announcements about a lost pet, neighborhood social activities, job services, and city news.  But there are a handful of people that need to complain publicly.  It's kind of jarring to read these comments online and it sucks the positivity right out of the air.  

You might be wondering why I don't address the grumbling.  

Oh, my dog ain't in that fight.  Don't get me wrong, I'd love to make suggestions, especially when it comes to animals.  I would say:  Pick up the poo and leave a sign in your yard to ask neighbors to clean up after their pets.  Find out whose dog is barking and have a calm discussion to come up with a solution.  Adapt a kinder attitude towards stray cats—they face the extremes of weather and the hazards and dangers of the neighborhood (speeding cars, coyotes, foxes, and raccoons).  Strays mainly seek food and shelter.

But my ideas would only start an argument.  Besides, complainers don't want a solution.  They just want to let off steam.  When they vent, they think it validates their complaint.  Complaining is fairly common and probably happens at least once a week.  So, I visit our Facebook page less often and I do my best to ignore the bitching.   

Whiners want their voices to be heard.  They're free to do so and our Facebook page is a convenient place to vent.  No one's going to stop them.  But what they fail to realize is their complaining solves nothing.  There are far more important issues to worry about.  And fireworks, loud dogs, dog poo and stray cats are only itty-bitty things. 

 À la prochaine!